carry when you hate yourself is not worth it.
Physically, unforgiveness affects you by weakening your immune system. According to Dr. Karen Swartz, “[c]hronic anger puts you into a fight-or-flight mode, which results in numerous changes in heart rate, blood pressure, and immune response. Those changes, then, increase the risk of depression, heart disease, and diabetes, among other conditions.”.
Since forgiveness is tied to how your body fights off bacteria and viruses, it is wise to let things go and try your best to move forward. Some ways to accomplish this are guided meditation, empathy, honest conversations, and journaling.
After months of sadness and taking small steps towards healing, I finally found the strength to forgive myself and the father of my beautiful baby girl. Since then, we’ve begun repairing our relationship and working together to give our kid all that she needs to grow up healthy and happy.
My body has also healed itself from serious, scary issues and my partner and I are happier than ever. I know that these strides would not have been possible without forgiveness and I encourage anyone who is harboring hate in their heart to let it go.
Brooklyn White is a journalist with content featured on Teen Vogue, Rookie Mag, and Bitch Media.